13 Responses to Chicago Blackhawks Trade Dave Bolland To Toronto

Bowman had to do it because of the salary cap. This should mean the Hawks re-sign Bickell and Leddy. Also, the second round pick in a deep draft could turn into something good. Looks like a good move in the big picture.

We all knew it was coming…Seems to be a good return for him. Hate to see him go, but his season was well below par. I think Hawk fans will always love him though. Was there an injury for him that we weren’t aware of during the p’offs?

Again, this deal has more to do about creating space for the Rockford kids as it does for money and CAP space…certainly Bolland’s deal has a lot to do about the money, but we already have Dave Bolland on the roster twice with Shaw and Kruger…plus at the worst, McNeil and Danault are these players as well…Garret Ross is another Bolland type player, and today’s first round pick, Hartman, is very much Bolly.

It is sad to see Bolly go…he came in a few picks before Bickell and has helped us to 2 SCs…we all love Bolly…but his level of play dropped this year, his injuries are getting worse, and that back is going every season…plus his faceoff % keeps getting worse. He found a GREAT new home in Toronto where he is loved, and he will do well there. Yes, Bowman did a great job getting 3 picks for Bolland, including TO’s 2nd rounder this year, but this creates space for Pirri, Smith, Morin and Hayes…all 4 guys are great players and are going to improve us.

A lot of good things have already been said by fellow Hawks fans. All I can say is we will truly miss him, but it was the right decision by the organization. With the emergence of Kruger and Shaw, Bolly became expendable. He is just not a 2nd line centerman, and will never be. Kruger and Shaw are much younger and great alternatives to Bolland. The reason why the Hawks traded him is his inability to stay healthy, and not his cap hit.
That being said, Bolly is a unique player with a great skill set who is at his best in April, May and June. The bigger the game, the more he dominates. Yzerman should consider selecting Bolland for the Olympic games in Russia. He had great years in Chicago (except most of this year), but now it is time for him to move on. All the best to you, Bolly. Would have been nice though if the Hawks had traded him to Winnipeg where he could have been reunited with Ladder.
A couple of memorable accomplishments from Bolland: he single-handedly destroyed the Sedins and Big Joe in 2010, returned for game 4 in 2011 vs the nuckleheads and pushed them to the brink of elimination. He scored some fantastic goals and had one very productive year in 08-09 on a line with Havlat and Ladd.

Our 3rd line is pivotal to future success. Now that Bolly is gone, Shaw has to continue to shine like he did this year.